Kings, Despots, and Other Foolish Notions

As I write this, the 2018 Mid-Term elections are only two days away.  As an evangelical Christian, I have to admit to a great deal of trepidation concerning its outcome.  As a fiscal conservative, and a Republican, I'm concerned about the path people seem to be taking in what I consider to be the greatest nation on earth.  I won't mention names, nor will I vilify members of either party in an attempt to justify my long held beliefs.  There are two forces at work in our current political system and no one seems to be dealing with them head on.  Even if you took out the religious factor of which I am a proud proponent, the issues remain the same.  At the core and central to this election is the rule of law.  Those who profess a progressive political bent, are demanding that laws be interpreted, and applied based upon emotional criteria dictated by a current situation.  On the other side is the idea that laws should be followed, and enforced without consideration of mitigating circumstances.  The problem for both belief systems is this amazing document called the Constitution. 
Despite the best intentions of my conservative friends, and family, I believe the Constitution was meant be a living breathing agreement between people to allow us to grow into wiser, and more compassionate people.  The PEOPLE are the governors of this mighty nation, if we allow it to function the way the framers intended.  However, if we begin to nibble away at the foundations of the document, we run the risk of moving away from the ability to govern each other with wisdom, and compassion.  Our Constitution is the closest thing to how God intended men to live together short of His Kingdom on earth.  I believe it is the best Government you will find on the face of the earth.  Its purpose was to give every man rule over himself within the framework of forbidding the imposition of my will over another.  It is a delicate balance that I believe was set askew by using the courts to legislate. 
There is Biblical precedent for this in the moment that the Hebrew people surrendered their God given government for a man driven government.  The minute they told God they wanted a king, they surrendered their liberty.  Prior to that, God had given them a set of laws to govern how they should live among themselves.  In those laws were the precepts that our Constitution is based upon.  In the beginning, God desired that men would live by the laws He gave them.  In doing so, He promised He would protect them, shield them, and heal them.  The big IF was the necessity to follow those laws.  His laws encouraged people to live above their base natures.  His laws made allowance for every nuance of everyday life with the understanding that the limit of your reach was your fingertips.  Then again, that is never enough for people. 
As the Children of Israel stood and demanded a king, they also declared their slavery to another person.  How heartbreaking!  Kings, despots, and other foolish notions begin in the stew of stupidity that is compassion without wisdom.  When you surrender your liberty for safety, you surrender your ability to govern yourself over to another.  To me, this is the same lunacy that is expressed in demanding that companies print the ingredients on the labels of food products, and that fast food establishments give you a calorie count.  Eventually you will surrender the control of what goes in the can to government bureaucrats.  You have just surrendered your liberty to eat whatever you want to someone else. 
What does all of this have to do with living a life of peace?  I encourage anyone who reads this blog to go and watch the sparrows.  We could learn a few things from them.  They do not fret themselves with where they will get their next meal, nor do they exact their needs upon another.  They know one thing that the Israelites didn't learn, God provides.  It is something we need to reacquaint ourselves with if we intend for our nation to survive.
So as the mid-terms happen in a couple of days, I will be watching with a keen eye upon the mindset of the nation.  Do we wish to surrender our liberty in exchange for a false sense of safety, or will we determine to be the wiser shepherd of our own life.  It's simple, but sadly hidden in this desire to have others tell us what we are thinking.  The problem with kings, despots, and other forms of government, is that liberty is quickly surrendered to democracy.  If you don't know what that means, I can't help you.  Long live our republic, and the dream it was built upon.